Desert Angel
by Scruff the Rat
Summary: Even when life separates you, some connections never fade. They merely hide away. Beauregard Rabbot x Vanilla
1. Good Morning

**I am going nuts over Bunnie's Uncle Beauregard! All I've done is look up some pictures on him and all I can say is that the guy is one interesting character. He was one of the only few sub-bosses that joined Eggman out of reasons not malignant, and one day had to be on par with his very own niece all because they're on opposite sides of the war.**

**Then one day a thought came to me: what if he and Vanilla had had some history together? Hardly anywhere besides Fanfiction are there descriptions of Cream's father. Plus, according to the Archie Sonic Wiki Site, Vanilla and Cream used to live in the Southern Baronies, the same region as Beauregard's Legion and very well probably the same region Beauregard himself hailed from. **

**Besides, to me, Vanilla and Cream's politeness and hospitality would well complement Beauregard's disposition as a Southern gentleman.**

**Don't expect these one-shots to be in proper sequence with the events of the Archie Sonic Comics or in any perfect chronological order. Granted, there might be a little plot to them, but, other than that, this work of mine will mostly be random. **

**Sorry for the long author's note, but I had to get that explanation off my back.**

* * *

Gilded amber sunlight seeped past the blinds of a dim bedroom, landing on the shapes of two motionless rabbits, both lost deep within the confines of slumber. One, female, mumbled pretty nothings as her face betrayed not the smile on her face. No doubt her slumber was a pleasant one. Meanwhile, her male counterpart, the one on the other side of the bed, in contrast, twitched a bit in a rather agitated fashion, especially with his legs. No, he wasn't having a nightmare—just a rather annoying moment in whatever dream he was currently experiencing.

Their names...?

Beauregard and Vanilla Lee Rabbot (pronounced RAB-BOH)...the sleep-deprived but proud parents of a polite but exuberant baby girl...

Speaking of which...

**BOOM!**

There went the door to the bedroom, slamming into the dark brown wooden wall. Though the resultant noise that occurred was deafening, it only succeeded in making the two adult conies shudder a bit, an action followed right away by a duo of simultaneous treble and bass moaning.

Their niece Bunnie sure knew how to make a racket...just as well as their daughter Cream knew how to get in a person's face because the moment after her cousin kicked the door open, the tiny little lapine, clad in an orange dress that reached her knees and shoes decorated with yellow buttons, hopped all the way across the room and onto her parents' bed, bouncing up and down between the two adults and giggling loudly as any infant would.

A tiny, yellow and light blue baby Chao followed right after the ecstatic toddler, fluttering aerial figure eights while chirping "chao" in excited repetition.

"Mornin', ya'll! Rise n' shine!" cheered out the golden haired preteen, her arms swinging out to the sides as she dashed across the bedroom to raise the window blinds up. The sunlight, once consisting of weak streams, now bathed Beau and Vanilla in its entire golden glare.

The following responses, however, were not what Bunnie, Cream, and Cheese had anticipated and hoped for.

Beauregard slammed a pillow over his head to shield himself from the light. "Oh, Momma, please not _now_..."

Vanilla whimpered as pulled the covers over her head. "Mother, do I _have_ to get up?"

The children and the Chao all looked at each other blankly at first before bursting into chuckles.

"You big sillies," giggled the bunny girl in dark blue jeans, a pink-shirt, and brown cowboy hat. "We ain't anyone's Momma! She, Cheese, and Ah just wanna to make sure ya'll both up for the _beeg_ day today!"

"Chao, chao!"

Beau, removing the pillow, turned his scruffy head so his wizened face was visible, and opened a bleary eye at the two girls and their Chao companion. "Bunnie, Cream, what're ya'll talkin' abou—"

An abrupt memory came to him, halting him in mid-word and bringing his eyes to the size of plates. The oldest lapine cringed instantly.

'_Oh...__**that**__...'_

Today was the none other than the birthday of Miles "Tails" Prower, one of Cream's nearest and dearest friends! As such, the Rabbot family was anticipated to join in the festivities at the Prower household!

Beauregard had nothing to say against the Prowers, per say; in fact, he was rather good friends with Amadeus, Tails' father.

Just...the idea of all those kids climbing all over him...poking and jabbing him...especially the part of him that wasn't flesh and bone...

Years ago—before Cream had been conceived—Beauregard endured a car crash in which he lost use of his right arm. As a result, the limb had to be amputated in favor of a robotic replacement. The new body part had taken some emotional adjustment from Beau and Vanilla, but eventually the resilient couple had grown to accept it as just another one of the former's quirks.

"...Momma...Dadda...?" Any other time Cream would have had her head tilted to the side, her father would have had to coo. His baby girl was just too cute sometimes. Unfortunately for Beau, now was a not the appropriate time to be cooing at anything...at least not when he was half-awake.

The eldest rabbit dropped his head back onto the pillow with a groan. His wife, despite being almost as conked out as he was, was not about to let the situation stand just like that. Today was a special day and not even Beau's stubbornness was going to get in the way.

"Beau, sweetie...your daughter's calling you." Even though her mind was still having trouble thinking up potent words at the moment...

Beau emitted incoherent mumbles. "For the first ten minutes of the day... she yo' daughta'."

"Uncle _Beau_..!"

"Dad_da_...!"

"Chao, _chao_...!"

Oh goodness gracious, now _all_ of them...? His four biggest weak spots...?

Finally admitting metaphorical defeat, Beauregard waved a hand in the air. "Ugh, alright, ah'm gettin' up, ah'm gettin' up."

'_Ah __**hate**__ when they gang up on me like that!'_

* * *

**My point proven...random...but still kind of cute! X)**


	2. Goodbye

**Goodbye**

"Beauregard..." The dead quietness of her voice stopped his advance. Her back was to the counter, russet eyes transmuting into nearly liquid. The dinner Vanilla had made for herself lay still on the table, cold and forgotten.

A heavy sigh emptied out from Beauregard's lips as the male Mobian tried once more to placate his wife...but to no avail. "Vanilla...I know this looks bad."

Beau regretted those words as soon as he blurted them out.

Immediately, Vanilla fixed him with wide eyes and mouth agape as if she'd just been slapped.

"Bad..._Bad_...?" Vanilla no longer looked stricken; her face held plain outrage!

"Beauregard Lee Rabbot, you know very well this is _more_ than just 'bad'!" she hissed venomously. "This is—this is..." Her voice halted more and more until her rage drowned in perpetual sorrow. The whole situation...

'_No...I...this is not happening. This shouldn't be happening!'_

It was too much...all of this was just too much...

Her vision soon blurred, rendering the view of her Legionized husband into a liquefied image; as a result, she couldn't see his left hand—the organic one—reach out to her. She still heard his words of comfort, though, however little that comfort might've rectified.

"Oh darlin', please don't cry."

Beauregard's plea fell on deaf ears as his wife, face ridden with rivulets of saltwater, vehemently and violently shook her head in abysmal denial. "I honestly thought I'd lost you after the roboticization! Now you come back..."

With a trembling hand, Vanilla, after wiping her tears away to focus on her husband once more, reached out to his right arm...the part of him that she could no longer recognize. The flinching that had occurred the moment her hand touched the cool, steel "skin" of the robotic limb sent involuntary shivers down Beau's spine.

"...like _this_..."

The male rabbit nodded solemnly, empathic to his spouse's distress. The poor woman had every right to be in deep despair. However, she was failing to completely understand the situation as well. She needed to view the big picture...

'_This whole problem ain't as clear-cut as she thinks,' _Beau reasoned internally as he placed his flesh hand on her left shoulder. At least this way she wouldn't fall into near seizures just because of his touch.

"We were driven away. Ah tried findin' someone who knew the area...but the way back home was just too far, an' the only means of transport was in Sand Blast City. Ah couldn't risk bringin' everybody back there! Not _there_...!"

This time, Vanilla was the one to nod in understanding. Ever since the Eggman's attack on Sand Blast City over 10 years ago, she had heard numerous rumors of how the citizens of Sand Blast City had gone to unspeakable measures to protect themselves...even after the Robians, Beauregard included, had been miraculously though mysteriously returned to normal just last year and attempted to rejoin their brethren. She still found the reality that the heathens running that blasted city were Freedom Fighters hard to grasp, much less swallow.

Vanilla's voice finally came, nearly inaudible as it was. "I see. So you had no choice but to go to Eggman for help."

Her spouse nodded, both relieved and grateful for her full comprehension. "And I have to go back, too. This ol' cony's lucky enough that the boss gave 'im 'til the crack uh dawn. If I stay here, then that means our child will hafta—"

Beau allowed his voice to trail off...

The idea of a Legionized son or daughter did not bode well with the male rabbit...or rab_bot_—as much as he hated the Kingdom of Acorn, the aging rabbit's own flesh and blood meant far more than regionalist pride; so did Vanilla's opinion...speaking of which...

"NO, NO, NO," the distraught female began ranting to the highest heavens, "I _WON'T_ LET YOU DRAG OUR CHILD INTO THIS! IF YOU DO...I-I...I..."

A smooth pair of lips clasping on her own and a pair of strong, firm hands—one warm and organic, the other cool and metallic—grasping her own silenced her heartbroken cries.

But the heartbrokenness itself still lingered—in the sudden kiss, in the embrace, and in the tears spilling down Vanilla's peach fur to merge with Beau's.

Breaking that kiss went beyond pain.

Brown seeped smoothly into brown as this man and this woman each tried their hardest to obtain as much of their full of each other as possible, the latter no longer caring if her hands were being touched by Eggman's "influence."

"That's why I_ hafta_ leave. The little un' can't live uh happy life with a Legionnaire for uh father, much less uh father that's Grandmaster. _Now_ do you see, Van? Ah love the two of you...far—too—much...to let upon you what befell _me_."

For the first time since her husband's disappearance, Vanilla slowly yet surely developed an honest-to-gods smile, never having felt more loved in her life than ever before.

'_Beau...'_

"I'll miss you."

Beauregard reciprocated her expression, albeit his being a tad bittersweet more than hers. "And I'll miss _you_, darlin'."

The enamored mammals sealed their eyes closed and nuzzled each other nasally in pure affection. Eventually, Beauregard brought his furry lips to whisper dotingly in Vanilla's ear.

"But first...there's sumthin' I'd like for the two uh us to do before I leave."

Soft eyes shot open! Vanilla froze as if ice had replaced her bones. _'H-He can't mean...'_

With a great degree of effort, she slowly turned her head to look her husband in the eye. The fur beneath his eyelids was still frazzled from the dried tears.

"B-Beau...we can't just...I mean..."

A thick, golden finger landed softly upon her lips, halting her mind _and _her words.

"Mm-mm, don' 'can't' me, Nilly." His new tone of voice permitted _no_ room for argument. The towering lapine shook his head resolutely—his mind had been made up a long time ago. "Think of it...as a promise...no, _an oath_, binding us together as living proof that we gonna be alright and in each otha's arms again."

Such a promise...touched Vanilla...yet it also frightened her...but not for her or Beau's sake—for the sake of their offspring's...for a tiny, defenseless soul not even alive yet...

"If people found out—"

She found herself hushed in mid-sentence.

"Nobody's gotta find out. Besides, the little un' won' be all by his or her lonesome. Don't forget about all the chao we have here. "

He spoke the truth. The moment the two lapines had married, they'd gone straight to the ancestral home of Beauregard's family: a gorgeous, stately mansion, complete with its very own Chao Garden. Having both loved the adorable cherub creatures since childhood, Beau and Vanilla showed no hesitation in taking up residence in the elegant abode.

If only the lady Mobian had known how far-off their hopes had been...at least most of them...

"But best of all..." The lean but strong rabbit nuzzled his wife's neck before once more breathing soothingly into her ear.

"Our child won't be parentless." Vanilla gasped lightly at that final point. As much as she hated to accept the crushing reality of the situation...she had to agree with her husband. Right from the get-go, the pastel-colored rabbit already made clear more than once her desire for children.

Another of her failed aspirations...All the willpower the lady rabbit possessed prevented her from breaking apart right then and there in her husband's arms...and even still her struggle for self-control seemed in vain. Her moistened eyes served as flagrant testimony.

Beau bore his warm gaze deeper into his love's dazzling irises as his thumbs began to rub circles on the back of her hands.

"Even before we married, you always told me of fantasies of how you could just _hear_ them tiny pitter-patta' of baby bunny feet bumpin' up n' down the floor. The war's already ruined one of your hopes. Ah won't let it crush this one neither."

Words practically failed Vanilla at this point; in fact, the world, for all the lady lapine cared, contained only her and her precious Beau. The rest of the world—and its god-forsaken war—were miles away tonight as far as _she_ was concerned.

"Ah still wanna make you happy...no matter what...This is 'bout the best way I could think of so far," Beau shrugged innocently with a mild blush, behavior not at all unlike that of a schoolboy about to have his first kiss, "...if you'll still have me for this night, that is..."

Silence...Beau waited in spite of anxiety eating at his insides. Then at last, the southern fellow's dear maiden spoke...her voice emerged smooth as silk...

"Beau..." Her head came to rest on the man's chest...her gloved hands gripped his waist...

"Yeah, sweetie pie...?" His embrace enveloped and tightened on her.

Then came four, simple, sweet, little words...

"Please take me upstairs..."

Without a sound, Beau released his hold then offered the crook of his organic arm to his wife; he resisted the urge to shiver passionately at her firm but gentle hold.

And he made sure to keep her on the side opposite of his robotic arm throughout the rest of the night.


	3. Good Eye

**Beau, Cream, and all the Sonic characters mentioned belong to SEGA and Archie.**

* * *

**Good Eye**

He saw _her_. She saw _him_.

At first there had been no sign of acknowledgment. They'd both been too far to see each other clearly. After all, there's only so much you can see when you're face to face with a Dark Legion chapter, its members ready to attack at a moment's notice.

Then their eyes met.

Cream merely gasped. His eyes...They looked exactly like...

Then came the way he slightly tilted his head and furrowed his eyebrows as if to get a better look at her...the resemblance embodied uncanny quality in itself!

No matter what, Cream simply couldn't get the tall rabbit she had momentarily seen out of her mind.

She knew he was one of the bad guys...one of the "bad" people following Dr. Eggman.

So why was he so nice to her, Rotor, Big, Bomb, Heavy, and Cheese after his Legion had confronted them—especially to her?

He certainly must have _not _been so nice for Bunnie to have come back home the way she did. Cream knew this because Amy had personally heard from Sonic—with Bunnie's okay, of course—about the young woman's falling out with her beloved uncle.

Her cousin Bunnie had told her about him as well, much to Vanilla's apparent discomfort.

Could that man really have been...?

Cream could not help her natural curiosity. She wanted to know more. She wanted to understand more.

She wanted to learn more about the man who had supposedly disappeared prior to her birth.

She wanted to discover why he had to leave.

If not for her own sake, then at least for her mother's...


	4. Good Riddance

**I still own none of the Sonic characters.**

* * *

**Good Riddance**

Cream had done it.

She'd beaten Metal Tails.

The fight had been hard, due to both the robot's uncanny resemblance to her dear friend and its sheer strength. Indeed, more than once, the wily machine had cruelly prodded the young lapine's emotions and insecurities with jabs aimed at not only her but her willingness to help her friends, her reluctance to resort to serious violence, and even her mother's concern. Poor Cream sometimes even found herself shedding a tear or two as a result.

The rest of the Metal Series proved just as difficult, particularly Mecha Sally for obvious reasons. Right from the get-go, Cream quickly came to understand the hesitation and anxiety from which Sonic and friends had suffered themselves during _their _fight against their roboticized comrade...as well as their drive to return the mechanical princess to normal.

And the city...What would happen to the city if she and her team were to fail? Mr. Sonic, Tails, and Amy were counting on Team Freedom to beat Eggman and his forces back.

No, not just them...so were all the citizens—the council members, Rosie... Vanilla...

No, she couldn't think that way! Everything was going to be alright in the end. Everyone was going to be safe in the end...And why...?

Because Team Freedom _will _succeed...After all, if Rotor and his team would fall, who would be left to save the city in time?

After all, robots aren't perfect. And just like their creator, the Metal Series robots, for all their strengths, were not without their weaknesses.

So with the aid of Cheese and the occasional pick-me-up from Rotor and Big, the young Mobian, with new vigor and resolve, defied Metal Tails' emotional assault and managed to help her team drive Eggman's robotic forces away from New Mobotropolis.

Never did Cream ever hear cheering as raucous and encompassing as the shouts, whistles, and whoops that followed the silence in the wake of the Doctor's retreat.

"Alright, Team Freedom...!"

"They did it!"

"I never doubted them for a second!"

The greatest, brightest smile to ever grace the young girl's face would have put the Master Emerald's luster to downright shame! Understandably, her teammates were no different in their jubilance.

Rotor, "Ha, ha, nice job, everyone...! You all did _wonderful_ out there!"

A huge, round, purple tabby cat blushed darkly at the praise.

"Gosh, I guess we really _are_ good Freedom Fighters, after all, huh, Cream?"

The addressed bobbed her head enthusiastically, still dazed that she had just had a part in saving her home. "That we are, Mr. Big! Thanks to all of us, the city's safe now!"

Now all there was left was for Team Freedom to regain contact with Team Fighters—and perhaps along with a secret team Cream had heard sparse rumors about—and take down the mad doctor for good!

Then maybe...she'd be one step closer to bringing _him_ back.

She no idea, though, that she was a few steps closer to that goal than she thought.

Especially after Rotor received a visit from a certain Grandmaster later that night...


	5. Good Assurances

**None of the characters, save for Ozzie, belong to me.**

* * *

**Good Assurances**

"You hate me."

Hate...such a small word...yet such potent meaning...powerful enough to even send someone as unshakeable as the grizzled Baron of the Great Desert Chapter reeling back in sheer speechlessness. Why, he nearly backed right into his desk!

The way she had said it...She didn't even accuse him or use any tone of the sort that suggested as such. No, rather...she had stated her words in a way as if they mere fact, a part of reality.

And she accepted them...just like that...

'_I...I can't let her go around thinkin' that. Lord forbid if I ever did.'_

Mr. Rabbot slowly slipped off his ten-gallon hat and rested it on the table, never taking his steel blue irises off his daughter.

"Darlin'...darlin', darlin'," he chanted soothingly, "no...I could _neva_ hate you," he assured with a sorrowful smile. "Not _you_."

Cream only shook her head tearfully, her low whimpers threatening to overtake her voice as she spoke in increasing tremors. Her bravery to face him dissipated in seconds.

"B-but...most of my best friends...th-they're Freedom Fighters—Amy, Sonic, Tails, Mr. Antoine, B-Bunnie, Sally...and since I-I'm one...t-then...you really _will_ have to...to..."

She wasn't even _his _child for grief's sake. Years after the man supposedly left, Cream's mother had run into another hare. Needless to say, _he _had left as well, much to the chagrin and pain of a heartbroken Vanilla. So why in the name of the heavens was Beau so fixated on the idea of comforting this girl? Was guilt the answer? Or perhaps in a way he didn't care if Cream had originated from Vanilla's relationship with another man.

Either way...

The elderly rabbit had had just about enough. Kneeling down on one knee and leaning forward, Beauregard steeled his face into a compassionate but firm expression. "That's enough, Creampuff."

"No-nonsense" would have been the best adjective to describe the man's scratchy, baritone voice. He even grabbed Cream by her thin, delicate shoulders to insure that the two of them could more easily look each other in the eye.

"Now you listen here. Your papa...He's just some ol' fool of a rabbit with his ol' foolish ideas...," Beau then shook his head slowly, knowing full well how scathing the rebukes of his ancestors would have been if they had heard such an admittance.

"...'cept he's too stubborn to accept that they're foolish. The choice to join Eggman was done out of nuthin' but desperation...and if I had known what it would cause..."

At this point, Beau laughed/choked pitifully. "Oh Lord, what I wouldn' av' given to be with you, your mutha', and Bunnie this instant..!" He seemed so near to tears now...His own pupils glinted from the crystal water building up upon them. Even Cream, at her young, innocent age, knew such an expression cannot be imitated—not even by a professional.

She placed a hand to the left side of his chest, closing her eyes and pausing for a few moments to pay some attention to his heartbeat. Her step-brother Ozzie told her that the heart could reveal much of who a person really was.

As Cream listened with rapt attention, Beau's heart thumped boldly and proudly, just like a great bull taking in the fresh air of a meadow. Yet...if Cream listened hard enough, she'd almost hear a sort of decrease in tempo. Said decrease lasted only half a second, but she still caught it. Ozzie once told her that such a pattern signified the presence of a taxing issue in a person's life...of deep sorrow and agony.

'_And all because of Mommy and me...'_

In other words, Beau was in a situation that was either stressing him, upsetting him, saddening him, or any fusion of the three scenarios. The dear man was merely a victim of crushing circumstances and a madman's insatiable lust for power.

Cream at last opened her eyes and removed her hand from Beau's lean chest. She had all the information she needed to believe this man.

"Then...do you really care about us after all?" Even her...a child of no biological relation to him...?

'_Heh...that's a no-brainer...'_ the Baron fact, to Cream's surprise and sudden delight, he chuckled lightheartedly before scooping his tiny lapine up in his sinewy arms and cradling her close to his heart. His voice became smooth and soft as he began gently rocking her to and fro.

"Of course, sweetheart, I couldn't bear livin' if I didn't. Ya'll mean so, so very much to me."

Only now did Cream release her tears. No, though, these tears were out of a different form of sadness. The dear girl lamented over the fact that this man, so loving and accepting, would have been a wonderful father, one who would have treated both her and her mother extremely well.

If only the chance to do so hadn't been ripped from his grasp...

Still teary-eyed, Cream wiped a few of the droplets away from her delicate face before meekly asking, "Then...why can't you just quit and come back to us?"

At this inadvertently personal question, Beau turned away so his daughter wouldn't have to see his conflicted grimace. How could he explain to her his wild, impassioned desire for "the south to rise again?" How could he make her understand his biased opinion—one pitted viciously and relentlessly against a group that contained, like Cream said, not only her allies, but practically her closest and dearest friends?

"Cream..."

"Y-yes...p-poppa...?"

He graced her with another smile, this one accompanied by a warm, loving light in his eyes.

"If only you knew how much more sensible you are than me. You're uh kind, gentle soul...just like your momma." _'And since my baby __**is**__ a Freedom Fighter now, I hope she'll prove to be a damn fine one, just like Bunnie.'_

"Before ya came along...yo' momma and I made an oath we'd see each other again...which is why we decided to have a child. I can only assume the tyke didn't make it," he narrated, the sudden infliction in his voice filling his child with heartfelt sympathy. Thankfully, though, "But then you came. Cream..."

"You're what your unborn sibling helped to start...you _are_ that oath."

Hearing all these truths opened Cream's eyes and mind to discoveries so mind-boggling yet so believable. It took all her willpower not to plead her father to stop for a moment. "W-why not a promise...?"

"Because...promises are easy to break...at least to your ol' man... An oath is stronger..._much_ stronger." He nuzzled her nose affectionately, instantaneously earning a giggle from her. "Just like I know my baby is much stronger than she thinks..."

Cream, once her tittering died down, enveloped her father's neck in an embrace, the strength of which belied her stature.

"I just wish you could come home," she whispered wistfully. Beau's grip tightened as the elder lapine's chin came to rest on the crown of Cream's head. He whispered back the words he, she, Vanilla, and Bunnie so desperately yearned to believe.

"Daddy _will_ come home, baby. You can _count _on that."

Someday...Daddy _will_ come home-just not today. Not yet...


	6. Goodwill

**College life: what can ya do? Yes, that's right, folks. I'm still alive!**

* * *

**Goodwill**

Silence enveloped the young duo of lapines, the rotund orb of citron light in the far distance melting fluidly into the twilit auburn sky. Warmth and sunlight, however, could do nothing to alleviate the glum mood—and for good reason. The older one of the pair, her cowboy hat off to the side, heaved a hefty sigh. Breaking the truth to her younger cousin would _not_ be a simple task.

Thankfully, though, Cream, in all her innocence, was the one to break the ice instead, her voice quiet and unusually solemn. "Cousin Bunnie…why won't Daddy come back?"

Daddy—even **with **knowledge of her true origins, Cream simply refused to view the wizened Grandmaster as anything other than an estranged yet still deeply cherished father. Bunnie scrunched her eyes a bit at the retreating sun, almost as if praying to discover the proper answer somewhere in the ephemeral crimsons. _'Sometimes I swear this girl's sweetness is gonna be causin' her problems one day.' _

Then again…that sweetness _was_ one of Cream's best qualities, after all—heck, practically the kid's namesake. That's why then the older cousin was having such difficult time pointing out the complex situation engulfing her and Cream's dismembered family.

"Creamie...," Bunnie breathed a heavy sigh. "You best off not wishin' for that man to come on back. I don' think he could even if he **wanted** to." Bunnie couldn't help wincing as she continued explaining, her discomfiture clearly evident. Even she had to admit, those words sounded rather harsh. "He's in...uh pretty dang tough position, and, as much as he hates doing it, he's got no choice but to serve the bad guy." Bunnie tried her best to give her cousin a solemn expression…even though it came out more melancholic than solemn. "Otherwise, he'll put a ton of the people working under him in danger."

Cream fidgeted, twiddling her oversized, gloved thumbs. _'I hadn't thought of that before…'_

Yet something at the back of the child's young mind still persisted—no, _demanded_ to be asked. "Doesn't he know how much we love him? If he knew, then he'd probably find a way to free all the people in his Legion."

Bunnie could only exhale dejectedly, once again stared in the eye by the dilemma entrapping her family. _'Uncle Beau loves us to death. Ain't no doubtin' that...Ah just wish there __**was**__ some way to free his Legion.'_

"And Bunnie...,"

"Yeah, Cream Pie?" Yes, even in such a dark situation, the older lapine couldn't keep herself from addressing the little girl with such an cutesy nickname—not that Cream minded, of course.

"…about wishing for him to come back…," the beige colored girl tipped her head back up to look her cousin/older sister in the eye. "I don't think I could stop even I wanted to, too."

At first, the older rabbit threw a shocked look to her younger companion, an expression that had worried Cream at first; did she upset Bunnie with her words?

'_Oh please don't be mad, Bunnie!'_

Well if tousling someone's hair affectionately while chuckling meant anger then Bunnie D'Coolette was as mad as heck!

"You really ah a stubborn crittah, ain't ya?"


	7. Good Chance

**All characters belong to Archie and SEGA.**

* * *

**Good Chance**

"So..._you're_ the Baron?" Rotor voiced, his even tone betraying none of the seriousness of the situation.

Here on the plains just outside of New Mobotropolis stood Rotor and his team, the sinking sun casting its evanescent glow upon them. Simultaneously, Beauregard stood before the Freedom Fighters, the shadow he threw upon them almost threatening to swallow the beings before him. Surprisingly, no other Legionnaires lay in sight. Regardless, Rotor Walrus, for the sake of his fellow teammates, did not waver in his subtle stare-down with the elderly Rabbot.

Beau did not nod. Rather, he cocked his head to the side with a smirk. "And I'm guessin' ya'll must be...Team Freedom, if I presume correctly?"

Rotor dipped his head curtly to affirm. "Yes...?" he slowly responded, unable to hide the suspicion-filled twinge in his voice. Something about this scenario was...just off in the walrus's perspective. _'Why on Mobius would the Doctor send out one of his own Grandmasters all the way out of his own region?'_

That oddity was part of the reason Rotor had declined the company of his team members at first. At least that way, if something happened to him, the rest of his team would at least have something of a chance of protecting the city. For all he knew, this whole meet could be a set-up to entrap his entire team and leave the city defenseless. Unfortunately, when you have a Grandmaster threatening to make his own way into your home to "make his own appointment," there's not much you _can _do but hear the person out. As a consolation, though, Rotor had enough confidence in his abilities and in his nanite suit to satisfy himself with the assurance that he could take the Baron on, with or without assistance from his teammates. Actually, now that the walrus pondered on the matter, this man was quite brave, coming all the way out into enemy territory without so much as a single unit or even an assistant—and to meet with the group responsible for beating back Eggman's supposedly ultimate robotic enforcers, no less!

"Good, there's some business my legion's got a score to settle with the Kingdom of Acorn." Beau's sunny smile only served as a façade, though. One could almost feel the tension that crackled in the air following that statement. Indeed, Rotor's stare narrowed almost imperceptibly at Beauregard…until a certain, well-meaning, violet tabby spoke up.

"Uh...excuse me, Mr. Baron...?"

"Yes, uh..."

"I'm Big, sir."

Beauregard lifted a thick eyebrow quizzically, wondering if this rotund feline was trying to mock him. He wouldn't put such a lowdown trick past these followers of the King. "Yes, you certainly are, but what's your _name_, son?"

A thick, clawed finger—Rotor's finger—rose up to halt the sidebar conversation. "Actually, Mr. Baron, that _is_ his name: Big," the light purple walrus explained matter-of-factly. If the situation hadn't been so serious, Cream and Cheese would have giggled at Beauregard's slightly stupefied expression. That man appeared as if he'd just discovered fire that freezes instead of burns. The Southern Grandmaster quickly cleared his throat in a nearly vain attempt to regain his composure.

Ignoring the Baron's almost comical expression, Rotor turned to the violet tabby and gestured him to proceed with his question. "Anyway, what were you going to ask, Big?"

"I was gonna ask why Mr. Baron's calling this place a kingdom," Big queried, scratching his large head. "Wasn't this place supposed to be a republic?"

Being the patient sea-dweller that he was, Rotor chuckled lightly and smiled good-naturedly before patting his perplexed comrade's hefty shoulder. "Don't worry, Big. It's still a republic." Team Freedom's leader, however, switched to an annoyed countenance when his verdant eyes bounced back to the Baron. "_Someone _just needs to get his facts straight."

"And someone needs to remind you, _walrus_," the elderly Mobian suddenly uttered dangerously, jabbing his cane in the air towards Rotor as his mechanical hand clenched itself into a fist, "that this so-called 'republic' is allowing the same ol' oppressors a piece of power."

Shaking his noggin in exasperation due to the rabbit's stubborn prejudgment, Rotor sighed wearily, hoping to perhaps bring to sense to this man. "Power that is shared among the _people_..."

Alas, though, Beauregard only fixed Rotor with an unruffled, haughty scowl and scoffed, coldly deriding the correction. "Awfully funny choice of words to be comin' from a councilman; yet here you are instead on the front lines. I guess this _kingdom's _followers aren't so spineless afta' all."

If that comment was intended to lower the team's morale, then Beau gravely miscalculated. Indeed, Big huffed and frowned—Froggy as well—upset at this man's callous attitude. Bomb and Heavy straightened up as one, the former already prepared to blow a certain rabbot sky-high. Rotor, usually an easygoing and tolerant person, crossed his arms in defiance, unwilling to let the Baron have his goat. Even Cheese scowled a bit, having up to had it with Beauregard's taunts and jabs.

Only Cream did not share in the defensive negativity permeating her team._ 'I know he works for Eggman, but why does he have to be so...so rude to us?' _After all, they were only doing what they had to do: protecting their home and loved ones. What wrong possibly could persist in _those_ motives?

Thankfully, Rotor did not answer to Beau's bait. "Why are you here?"

Much to the team's sudden confusion, Beau raised a metallic finger in response. "First a question: do any of ya'll know of the Sand Blasters, otherwise known as the Sand Blast Freedom Fighters?"

Rotor merely nodded warily. What sort of question was...? The inventor all of a sudden narrowed his eyes in dark suspicion. "Would they have anything to do with the fact that _you're_ here?"

"Why as a matter of fact, walrus, they do." Uh oh, Cream didn't like the smile on the man's face; it looked too much like the kind Eggman would don whenever he'd partake in torturing someone or, God forbid, roboticizing. "You see, a few days ago, my scouts picked a mighty large exodus emergin' from Sand Blast City." Beau began walking off to one side then back, repeatedly as he administered his report, never looking back at Team Freedom. "At first, it looked like they mighta been gettin' bold and tryin' a frontal assault on the legion..."

Finally, the golden-haired rabbit stopped in his tracks—right back in front of Rotor.

"But then..." Beau let the sentence taper ominously.

"Then...what...?" the team's leader inquired cautiously.

The Baron shot another "Eggman" smile in Rotor's direction. "Surprise, surprise...they actually went in a _different_ direction! Any of ya'll wanna take a wild guess to where?"

Two seconds of silence passed before the forest green and earth brown eyes of Rotor and Cream slowly expanded to the size of car tires.

"Oh no..." Rotor softly uttered in horror.

Cream began to tremble in fear, whimpering as she did, Cheese's and Big's efforts to comfort her in vain. "B-But...why would those mean Sand Blasters want to come all the way here?"

Team Freedom's leader swore he detected a trace of something other than contempt in Beau's eyes—guilt perhaps?—when the elder rabbit's eyes landed on Cream for about two seconds. Then like a lightning bolt, that iota of onus vanished beneath malicious amusement. "_Very_ good question...! And, quite frankly, one that even my troops and I ain't too sure about..."

Rotor crossed his arms with firm resolve. "We can't trust you _or _your Dark Legion troops here, even if what you're saying _is _true."

Beau raised a thick, bushy, orange eyebrow knowingly. "Actually...more for a reason that Eggman would _love_ to hate..."

'_Love to hate...? Is he...asking for our help?'_ thought the sea dweller in numb shock and a baffled mien, his fellow members wearing similar expressions of disbelief. The notion itself was unfathomable. "And that reason would be...?"

"You see this arm, son?" Beauregard nodded his head to his robotic limb, never taking his eyes off the Freedom Fighters.

"Oh, it's a really _neat_ looking arm, sir!" Big exclaimed with a smile. Everybody just stared at the round, dark purple tabby in dumbfound silence...before the rest of the team either chuckled or giggled at the cat's compliment, even Bomb and Heavy managing tinny sounds reminiscent of laughter. Big _had _made a surprisingly valid point.

"Um, thank you," Beau returned awkwardly, not quite sharing in the warm moment. These new Freedom Fighters surely weren't what he expected them to be. "Anyway...this arm gives me enhanced strength like so."

Before anyone could even blink, Beauregard, his robotic limb shooting out like a rocket, grabbed then lifted up Rotor by the collar of his suit as if the walrus were a sack of potatoes. Big and Cheese gasped; Froggy croaked out urgently; Bomb and Heavy tensed, ready to save their leader; the poor sea-dweller himself yelped in shock at the sudden action and prepared to retaliate...

"Put him down now!"...But then came that tiny voice, filled with outrage like a tiny volcano set to erupt, breaking through the tension. For the third time that day, everyone went stark silent, this time stunned by the boldness of none other than little Cream. Her face stone solid, the young rabbit frowned deeply and passionately at her (secret) stepfather's lack of respect for her friend.

Yet no one proved more shell-shocked than Beau himself. The arm gripping Rotor began to slacken (not that the walrus bothered to notice at the moment), its owner's face losing the will to remains stone-stoic.

Never tearing her righteously furious gaze from that of the older lapine, Cream took a step forward to address the Baron more clearly.

"There's no need for that. If you really _do _want our help, Mr. Baron, then you'll have to be nicer than the way you are right now! To be honest, I don't care what the Acorns ever did to you. It doesn't give you the right to treat us as if we're bullies," she pointed a finger at him, "...especially when you're the only one doing the bullying! All we're doing is defending our home and here you come, looking down on us as if we're nothing but common criminals. Well...you made yourself the criminal the moment you joined Eggman...and what you're doing right now just proves it! So unless you want us to start treating you like a criminal," the brave girl pointed an index finger to the ground, "then you'll put our leader down this instant."

"Chao, chao!" Cheese chirped, nodding in agreement alongside his mistress.

Struck through the heart by the one person he never anticipated to snap at him, Beau, straining internally to keep the deep-seated hurt from appearing on his face, gingerly set Rotor back on his feet. The walrus, still somewhat phased by the recent turn of events, backed up a bit to be with his team. Fortunately, though, Rotor quickly regained his composure, and put a bulky hand on Cream's shoulder, inciting the young rabbit to look up at him and his sweetly smiling face.

"Thanks, Cream," was his soft utterance of gratitude. The young rabbit returned the walrus's expression with an affirmative hum.

Beau couldn't deny the pang of jealously that arose within him as he enviously viewed this touching scene. "On the other hand," he continued indifferently, "...thanks to this technology, the Doc also has complete control over our lives. He could destroy me in the blink of an eye if he ever felt I'd outlived my time as an asset."

Cream gasped, her anger at the Baron momentarily forgotten. Rotor scrunched his eyebrows in grim understanding and nodded as he confirmed, "The explosion device..."

The Baron nodded back solemnly, a grave frown on his own face.

NICOLE, following the Council's decision to accept her back into Mobotropolis, had notified him of the schematics of the Legionnaire machinery obtained thanks to the efforts of an old friend working as a double agent in the Dark Legion. Just last night, the aquatic engineer and his program-based companion, with the aid of Sonic's Uncle Chuck, managed to discover the full internal workings of the Dark Legion's implants, their explosive function in particular. Unfortunately, they had yet to devise a feasible solution to utilize this technology in a way that would greatly cripple the Dark Legion and, in consequence, Eggman. **(1)**

As Rotor thought more deeply on the matter, however, his countenance softened in shock and a touch of concerned sympathy. "But...do you know how much you're risking just by talking to us? The Doctor could be listening in right now!"

Beau merely scoffed, throwing his head to side before facing Team Freedom once more, "After the defeat _ya'll_ handed to him...? Believe me when Ah say the man has _more_ than enough on his mind right now...especially with Team Fighters houndin' 'im."

Rotor tilted his head, curiosity overriding his distrust towards Beau. "What are you trying to ask of us?"

"Eggman is powerful...but even _he_ can't handle everything by himself. That's why he has the Dark Legion and his robots. Take away either one and that man gets swamped. That's why ya'll are researching this stuff." Beau pointed a metallic finger at the light violet sea-dweller. "And I know just the man willing to help ya'll. Help us find a way to disable the explosion device...and I _might_ just consider us in your debt."

None of the Freedom Fighters had any words to say in response. In other words, the Baron had done just about all he needed to do...well, almost.

The Grandmaster of the Great Desert Dark Legion dismissed himself with a pleasant grin and a tip of his ten-gallon hat. "I'll let you folks think over it." With a final nod, the wizened rabbot nonchalantly rotated his body and face away and start to walk away for some unknown destination...

...only to freeze in place..."Oh and, uh, wal—I mean...Rotor?" Beau's rough voice dropped in volume, the elder rabbit never turning to face the walrus.

"I know. I'll keep her safe for you." For the first time, Rotor Walrus gave Grandmaster a genuine smile.

No thanks needed to be issued out. Rotor could see the surprised gratitude in Beau's grey azure eyes quite well.

* * *

**(1) An OC character whose name will remain unmentioned...**


	8. Good Grief

**All characters here belong to SEGA and Archie.**

* * *

"M-Miss Vanilla…are you _serious_!?"

None of the Chaotix could quite believe their ears. Julie-Su sure couldn't. And Vector, _sure as heck_, couldn't. After all, not often does one hear a docile and gentle spirit like Vanilla requesting to use a Warp Ring so that she can pay a visit to one of Eggman's former Grandmasters—and into a war zone of all places!

"Honestly, Vector…I've never been more serious in all my life!"

The beige-colored female stomped her high-heeled foot on the neon green grass of Angel Island in miffed determination. She knew very darn well how dangerous of a task she was undertaking…and no one would stop her! Orange sun-kissed twilight only emphasized the estranged woman's stalwart pose.

Vector didn't throw in the towel in yet, though.

"Don't ya get what you're asking of us?" the larger, broader emerald crocodile desperately asked as he wildly gesticulated with his hands. "Do you even understand that you're not the only one you're putting at risk here?"

For a moment, Vanilla lost a bit of her resolve's hard edge, her conscious roaring in the back of head, scolding her for not considering such a valid point.

Indeed, a civilian of the "Kingdom of Acorn" attempting to just walk right into the base of fiercely passionate anti-Acorn sentiment…? How could such an action _not _incite aggressive retaliation against the entire kingdom? And if people found out Chaotix's knowledge of this transaction, let alone the team's involvement…

But as quickly that iota of doubt came, it just as swiftly disappeared. Vanilla flawlessly reasserted her solemn frown with a dignified and stubborn huff. "Eggman lost control over the legions, did he not?" she stated firmly; crossed arms and a tapping foot spoke volumes. "Therefore, there shouldn't be as much to fret over as before."

This time, Julie-Su added her own two cents to the ongoing argument. Slamming a fist into her open palm, the gorgeous carnation echidna spoke out, "Even so, though, don't forget: the Southern Baronies _still _view the Republic of Acorn as the same kingdom that's suppressed its people for centuries."

Even then, Vanilla the Rabbit refused to budge an inch. She wouldn't have it. _'Nothing they can say will change my mind…and that's that!'_

Shockingly enough, though, Charmy, who had been hovering over the group for some time, listening to the verbal standoff taking place, offered what should have been the metaphorical final nail in the coffin. "What's gonna happen to Cream? You can't just leave her."

Vanilla showed no sign of indignation to this statement; actually, she showed practically no emotion at all.

All of the Chaotix couldn't help but feel deeply unnerved. Usually, the caring lady rabbit displayed a bounty of feelings…she could be a tad reserved at times, yes…but to be indifferent, especially where her daughter was involved…

Julie-Su dipped her frown from sadness to horror, shaking her head slowly, not believing the lengths this woman would be willing to take. _'She can't. She just can't.'_

"I'm tired," Vanilla sighed, rubbing her hands on her temples as if trying to relieve her mind of a great weight, "...tired of living in fear all because of the past. Tired of the need to cry whenever I see his eyes in my dreams...or in my daughter...And if no one will allow me, then I'll just find my own way."

And the rabbit mother stubbornly but bravely swerved away from the Chaotix, determined to find a way to her husband, one way or another...except she stopped and looked back. "But thank you, Charmy."

The adorable bee child tilted his head in confusion. "For what...?"

It was times like this that a child's innocence never failed to warm Vanilla's heart. "For helping me realize how foolish and rash I was being. It's obvious I can't go this alone, which is why I'm going to Sally and the Freedom Fighters for aid."

"Wait!" Once again, the pink echidna's voice cut the through the air like an arrow.

Vanilla huffed and stamped her foot, turning around to face the younger woman. "Julie-Su, it's one thing to be worried for someone, but for goodness sake—"

The sight of the small, golden ring in Julie's hand—and the kind, understanding smile on the ex-Legionnaire's face—stopped her in mid-rant. "We'll take one of the Warp Rings. You'll at least save time that way."

For the first time in years, Vanilla felt a great weight lifted off of her shoulders. With a grateful nod, she whispered the words that embodied her emotions for the family she had gained in place of the one she thought she had forever lost.

"Thank you...all of you."

* * *

**Well, the story can't have angst all the time. **

**By the by, I was planning on adding far more chapters to "Desert Angel" (maybe even throw own in an OC), but if there's one thing you folks need to remember about me, it's that I'm an impatient person.**

**It's the same reason I ended "The Life and Times of Mr. Hyunh" so abruptly.**

**That's why I intend to finish this story before the week's up. Sorry to those who've taken the time to read and even favorite this-but you folks rock all the same!**


	9. Good Gracious

**Getting close to the end—I'll try to keep the suspense up. Again, everyone here belongs to either SEGA or Archie.**

* * *

Eggman was dead.

Eggman...was dead.

Not destroyed...not thrown in jail...not even sent into space...Completely, utterly, and thoroughly dead...

Two friends of the Freedom Fighters—Ozzie Burroughs and Chip— made sure of that after the final battle. Working together, former earth gods performed a spell that would automatically dispel any other version of Eggman, evil or good, from entering the Primeverse.

In other words, every trace of Eggman had been erased for good.

In effect, the mad scientist's Dark Egg Legions were now all without a head commander, reducing the once proud and powerful Eggman Empire into mere, splintered rogue groups. Like a pack of dogs set loose without their master...

As for Snively...well, needless to say, he learned the hard way what happens when you hurt the friends and loved ones of a newly awoken Mecha Sally. The mecha princess made dead sure he would never repeat that mistake.

And exactly where did all of these changes leave Beauregard, Grandmaster of the Great Desert Egg Legion, one might ask?

Good question...

Those horrid Sand Blasters were still running amuck in the desert, causing havoc and whatnot. Jack and his band of ornery thugs would never change. Some people never do.

But there were pluses to the development as well. Beauregard now had two choices: to stay here and protect and guide his troops like he'd done for the past year...or leave this place to take back and repair the life he'd lost years ago.

_'It's always gotta be the important decisions that are the tough ones, now, don't it?'_

The sound of a door opening jarred the wizened general out of his deep thinking. With practiced ease, he uncrossed his arms from behind his head and lay them down on the wooden desk in front of him. His storm-azure eyes switched from the ceiling to Matilda, his loyal assistant. The beautiful, petite, green-shelled armadillo stood at respectful attention in the doorway, her robotic arms at her sides, and her face with its usual deadpan expression.

"Yes, Matilda?" inquired Beau with a kind smile, his eyes betraying none of the sadness and struggle from moments ago.

"Someone from the Kingdom is here to see you, sir."

A thick, bushy, orange eyebrow shot up Beau's forehead in suspicion. The lapine Grandmaster clicked his teeth, the smile starting to wane. "An Acorn...?"

Matilda shook her head.

_'Interesting'_...Beau's eyes expanded in slight surprise. "One of their generals...?"

Again, Matilda shook her head.

_'What the...'_ The Grandmaster's eyes grew even larger. "One of the Freedom Fighters...?"

Same response as before...except this time, in a rare moment of emotion, Matilda widened her eyes a bit in interest. "No sir, a civilian..."

Those words made Beau's jaw drop. The next ones made his heart stop.

"A Miss Vanilla claims she knows you."

* * *

**Yes, gentle viewers, we near the epic climax!**


	10. Good Samaritan

**Seriously, there needs to be more stories with Beauregard—he's such an underdeveloped and sexy character. (Yes, I find a fictional cowboy rabbit hot—got a problem?) Oh, and everyone belongs to either SEGA or Archie.**

* * *

One step into the war zone and suddenly it was as if Vanilla had become Mother Teresa, the Virgin Mary, or a Mobian Clara Barton.

No one dared to approach her, much less speak to her...almost as if none considered themselves worthy enough to be in her maternal presence.

Cream and Cheese experienced, more or less, the same behavior.

Honestly...? To say that this unprecedented treatment came as a shock to the lady rabbit and her escorts would have been a downright understatement.

The only exception had been a quiet, dutiful emerald-shelled armadillo with bionic arms. Her near-silence and deadpan expression had thrown Vanilla off for a second, but the older Mobian quickly adjusted to the armadillo's behavior. Being around Ozzie and even, at rare times, Shadow had given Vanilla ample experience with the "quiet ones."

The D.E.L soldiers still gave Antoine and Amy suspicious looks, though, especially in the handicapped coyote's case.

Regardless of the peculiar treatment, Vanilla had a mission to focus on. Together, she, Cream (with Cheese in her arms, of course), Amy, Antoine, and the legionized armadillo emerged from the crowded lobby and walked down barren hallways at a pace that, though fairly swift, almost drove the elder lapine bonkers. Every single step seemed like ten and every second felt like an hour.

_'Oh, I never really __**did**__ like suspense!'_ Vanilla griped in her mind before shaking her head to rid herself of such a negative thought.

Her daughter and her friends were quick to notice. "Mama, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, Cream." Her child didn't look so convinced...as did the others; Vanilla couldn't blame them. _'No...That's not true. It's just...even after so long...that man bothered to think about us every day...when he knew very well how much pain remembering brought him. He loved Cream even before she opened her eyes...and __**still**__ does. I only hope he can come to terms with himself and this whole 'south' business!'_

The group stopped in front of a wooden door right before anyone could call the mother rabbit out on her fib. Matilda turned to group and gestured it to remain here before opening the door, walking past, and closing it. Probably to iron out some details with the Baron about this..."visit"...

Whatever the reason was, it gave Antoine the perfect opportunity to revive the conversation. "You have notheeng to fret, Miss Vanilla...ze man eez your husband. Believe me, the last theeng he would want would be to hurt you."

"Tony's right, Momma; Daddy told me once how sorry he is for being apart from you for so long." Cream's eyes went downward as her voice lost its optimism. "He also said you deserve better husband than him...that I deserved a better father, too."

Hearing the normally cheery girl sound so sad rung in the group's hearts like a breeze striking battered chimes.

Amy took a step towards her smaller friend, her sisterly instincts all but hidden. Her green eyes shone with clear sympathy. "Oh Cream..."

"Oh sweetie...," Vanilla tenderly smiled as she scooped her baby girl into her arms and cradled her against her chest. "No one—and I mean no one—could ever replace your father. Despite his faults, despite his mistakes, he has always been and will always be, without a doubt, the kindest, sweetest, and most strong-hearted man I have ever met."

Amy, Cheese, and Antoine wisely remained in silence, smiling at the scene of affection before them. Times like these were what made being a Freedom Fighter all worthwhile. Sadly, the moment couldn't last forever.

"Ahm..." the sound of someone clearing their throat from behind her caused Vanilla to spin around, Cream still in her arms.

Matilda had returned, though Vanilla had her suspicions as to how long the young armadillo had been standing there. Instead of instigating, preferring not to stir up any trouble for her husband (yet), Vanilla instead chose to give a simple question. "Yes, dear...?"

If the armadillo felt bashful about the address, she didn't show—as usual. "The Baron is ready for you, Miss Vanilla."

Well then...this was it. Nodding her head, Vanilla set her daughter down, Cream choosing to stand right beside Matilda, Cheese back in her arms, and steeled herself. _'Well, here I go. In the immortal words of Sonic: let's do it to it!'_ Vanilla marched right into the room without fear, like she was walking straight into Beau's arms.

Only when the door closed behind the mother rabbit did Matilda finally speak.

"That mother of yours is a bold woman." Cream hummed in curiosity and shifted her eyes to Matilda once she realized the armadillo was talking to her, even though the slightly older girl still had her eyes on the door. "Not many folks are that willing to approach the Baron face to face...especially under their own accord."

Even though Matilda only meant to make an observation, Cream still smiled, proud of her mother's bravery. _'Mommy always worries when I do missions with the Freedom Fighters, but deep down I think she wishes she could do the same. She says she always liked it better when the princess saved the knight instead of the other way around.'_

Like now—everything felt like a real-life fairytale to Cream...only with a big, mean doctor, a really big desert, and lots and lots of robots...and a torn family about to be put back together for the happy ending it deserves...

When Cream looked back at the door, knowing her mother would do just fine, she failed to notice Matilda sparing her a glance, as well as something the shelled girl had not given anyone in a long time. For the first time in years, Matilda let her stoic expression melt into a smile. Cream's hopeful expression really got her thinking optimistically, something the young armadillo believed she'd never do again.

_'Perhaps things __**will **__change for the better. I just hope that lady knows what she's getting into.'_

* * *

**For those of you who know Matilda's backstory, you'd understand the other reason why she's so happy at the end here. Let's just say Beau's not the only one who has lost family members.**


	11. Good Day

**At last, the chapter where the whole story comes together—the last chapter will be right after this. Again, I own none of the characters here.**

* * *

**WHACK!**

"OW!"

No kidding…Beau would be feeling_ that_ lump in the morning…that is if Vanilla allowed him to live by then. Man, that woman had a good arm! Beau couldn't help but wonder how he had forgotten _that_.

"That...was for haunting my dreams all those years!"

**WHACK!**

"That...was for worrying me sick ever since that spat between you and Bunnie!"

"And this...," went through Beau's ears right before the wizened rabbot closed his eyes and braced himself for the next bop on the head.

A soft pair of lips graced his cheek instead. His oceanic eyes open in shock as Vanilla pulled away and smirked down at him. "...is for throwing your life on the line...just to protect our daughter."

Though saying Beau was "a little stunned" would have been an understatement, the buck gave a nervous chuckle and a blush. "Good to know this ol' cony did somthin' right." He rubbed the back of his head. "Really, though, Nilly, you shouldn't have come here…even _if_ Eggman is no longer controlling us."

At these touching words, Vanilla softened her expression and smiled honestly.

Beau returned the expression and interpreted it as a sign to continue. "You know you're pretty much beating a dead horse here, so, aside from coming here to come to terms with the past, there ain't much else I can imagine that could drive ya to come here of all places."

He had her there...for the most part. Vanilla picked at her gloves and looked to the ground. "I suppose...to reconcile something else as well?"

A curt "Tch" escaped Beauregard's lips. He stood up and neared his wife until only a few centimeters existed between them. Since she was facing him, Beau, using his organic hand, lifted Vanilla's face by the chin so they could be eye-to-eye in more than one way. "You were expectin' just plain, ol' simple Beau then, huh?"

Vanilla chuckled in spite of herself. "Believe me, _Mr. Rabbot_...even as Beau, you were never simple. You loved the simple things in life, yes. As a person, however...that's _another_ story, I'm afraid."

The Grandmaster smiled at his spouse's witty and on-spot humor. "Ah still love the simple things, Ms. Vanilla. Ah also got good intentions. They just don't seem that way to other folks. You get where ah'm comin' from?"

"In a way, yes...," she nodded...but then her smile dropped back into a frown, "it was still cruel of you to leave."

Beau shook his head forlornly then turned away, unable to endure her pleading eyes any longer. "It would'a been cruel _not_ to leave. And you're right. Ah could never take back the agony Ah put the three loves of my life through."

He sounded so sincere...He sounded like..._'The old Beau...No, Vanilla, that was a long time ago. For all you know, the man in front of you as much of a stranger to you as you are to him.'_

And if he was...well...at least Vanilla could say that she didn't give it—this whole crazy trip—a shot. She couldn't say she didn't try.

With a deep breath, Vanilla took a risk. She needed the truth. "Beauregard...Bunnie said—"

"—what she and Ah _wanted_ to believe...what we _needed_ to believe...otherwise the war woulda' been too much...Vanilla..." Two large, gloved hands took smaller, petite gloved hands as Beau peered off intensely into the warm depths of his spouse's eyes. "If only Ah could count how many days Ah spent wonderin' how you and Cream were...whether ya'll were happy...whether ya'll were safe..."

His robotic fingers brushed the hair out of Vanilla's eyes. She did not flinch this time at their touch. "You have every right to be chuggin' hellfire at me...and I'm sorry."

Beau even went so far as to offer the crook of his arm as a subliminal suggestion to allow him to escort the dear woman back to her "entourage." Vanilla took his arm...

But she made no move towards the door, inaction at which Beau raised an eyebrow. She merely stood there, her eyes closed, a grand yet serene smile starting to bloom.

"Alright, what _'blasphemous misdeed'_ did Ah forget?" Beau rolled his eyes, joking on account of his suspicions that Vanilla had one more accusation to grill into him.

No glare came his way.

A finger cut him off instead, stroking his lips from side to side tenderly and slowly as the digit's owner spoke in a loving and seductive whisper, "Beau...shut up."

A ten-gallon hat coming to rest on the desk was the last sight Vanilla barely noticed before she was lost in her husband's marine gray eyes. The man leaned towards her until his warm breath trickled down her cheeks.

He had her at his mercy the second he purred, "Don't _mind_ if I do."

* * *

**I love these two as a couple. Don't judge.**


	12. Good Luck

**Well, here we are, at last, ladies and gentleman, the concluding chapter to "Desert Angel." **

**I'd like thank all of you who have taken the time to read my wannabe attempts at writing. Those views really mean a lot. And I'd especially like to thank the folks who reviewed and/or favorited this story. I consider that a great honor.**

**And be sure to check out my story series "How the Caged Bird Sings"—it already has two stories up (****_Take My Hand_**** and ****_Believe_****)—plenty of Beau/Vanilla for those of you who want more. **

* * *

"I don't believe it. I just don't believe it."

"It _is_ rather much to take in, sir."

This very moment, Grandmaster—oh sorry, _ex_-Grandmaster Rabbot and his former assistant, Matilda, were standing on top of a platform balcony from Beau's office, overseeing the "moving out" of the troops. And for once, the reason had nothing to do with the Sand Blasters or Eggman.

Thanks to the recently deroboticized Princess Sally, the Republic of Acorn helped the former legion to reinstate the members' ways of life. The process had taken some time, but now everyone, every single Mobian in the Great Desert Legion—Beauregard and Matilda included—was free to return home. None of the former legionnaires could remember feeling so liberated before in their lives!

And yet...Beauregard could not help a sense of nostalgia. He looked down at the deserted barracks with a wistful air.

This place—this base—had been home to him for the past two years. In most of that time, he had led his troops—practically his second family—against the Kingdom of Acorn... and all because of the whim of a madman who thought he could play god on the lives of millions. Some of the memories, to say the least, had been anything but pleasant, especially when the Sand Blasters were involved.

But good memories persisted as well.

Beauregard would still recall in full clarity the smiles and laughter he had grown accustomed to during his time as the Grandmaster. He could easily remember the day he found Matilda, the newly legionized armadillo all alone and frightened, not at all like the stoic assistant he had come to know as a third daughter. And he would always remember the nights he spent staring at the stars, wondering if his family was looking at the same sky, too.

Now...now the time had finally come to leave.

In a way, Beauregard would miss this place.

"Baron...?"

Beauregard regarded his young ward with a lopsided smile. "Yes, Matilda...?"

A rare smile found its way to Matilda's face. "Your wife and daughter are waiting for you."

The buck's eyes twinkled at the news. "Better not keep 'em waitin' any longer then."

With those words spoken, the rabbit and armadillo began their long, final journey through the halls of the Great Desert base. They had families to get to.

Yes, the hardships had finally come to an end. Beau couldn't have been happier. He could finally move on. His time as a Grandmaster, as fruitful as it had been at times, was a part of the past now. As were Jack and his playmates—they could ransack this base for all Beau cared. They had no future to live and celebrate. He did.

And he would live it up to the end of his days. The life ahead of him wouldn't be easy, but, hey, since when was anything worthwhile ever was? Besides, Beau could handle whatever life curve-balled at him; the buck always loved a challenge. But nowhere as much as he loved—

"Oh Beau, where have you been? Cream and I had been looking for you for over half an hour now! Honestly!" There she was. Even with age, Vanilla _still_ made the Sun pale in comparison to her beauty. Not that Beau had a problem with his sugar blossom getting older—fine wine tastes better with time, after all.

As he shared a tender, conciliatory kiss with his wife and drew his baby girl into his arms, Beau looked over their heads at the sight of his niece and her husband, holding hands and nuzzling each other. Their marriage would take Beau some time to get used to, but the rabbot was willing to accept it—for Bunny's sake.

As for Matilda, Beau spotted her sharing a hug of her own with her new siblings. He smiled, taking comfort in the knowledge that Mighty and Ray would make the perfect brothers for the girl. She deserved the second chance—just as the rest of the families torn apart by the war did...just as his family did...

His mind and attention drifted back to the women in his arms—his world, finally pieced together again after so long.

_'Heh, the future ain't lookin' so bad right now.'_

* * *

**Me: (Wipes a tear) I'm sorry. (Takes a deep breath) Thank you all for reading "Desert Angel." I hope you've enjoyed yourselves. Please feel free to leave a review on the way out.**


End file.
